Two years ago, Donald J. Trump was impeached and acquitted.
Last month, Donald J. Trump was again impeached and again acquitted.
During the first trial, I didn’t agree with the outcome but I understood it. The second trial is much different.
While I’m not surprised that the former president was acquitted, I am still quite stunned. Republicans often consider themselves the “party of values.” I know this, not only because they always talk about it, but because I was raised as one. I was taught that morality was important. I was taught that there are consequences for your actions. I was taught a bunch of other stuff that I now know was utter bullshit.
Mitch McConnell summed up the whole situation best when he said that Trump,
“Is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”
Practically and morally responsible. But “not-guilty” on what is, for McConnell, a technicality.
You see, that’s just how these politicians roll. They wax poetic about values, and upright morality, and biblical ethics, and all that crap we so often hear about. And then, when the rubber meets the road, they backpedal. They care more for their political careers than for what is right and obvious. They find perpetual loopholes in the system if and when it benefits them and their ilk.
And yeah, Trump is not the president any longer. He’s gone. We don’t have to worry about him for at least 4 years. But what message does this send the American people? What message does it send the world? Basically, that it’s okay to stoke the flames of violence and not be held accountable . . . that certain people ARE above the law . . . that if you have money and power, you can’t do shit others can’t . . . that the proverbial swamp is just as murky as ever.
The irony in all this is that the same people who sycophantically champion Trump are the ones who warned their party about him when he was campaigning to become the GOP nominee. These folks were terrified of him. And he laid waste to them with ad hominem after ad hominem, in an attempt to besmirch the names of every single political rival. Now, though, “Lyin’ Ted” and company ride Trump like a ________ (use your imagination).
So, what will become of this mess? I don’t know. I’m not a political scholar. I don’t follow politics like some of you. This is just a stream of consciousness from someone who is more interested in philosophy and theology than politics and current events. But I am hoping some court somewhere has the spine to convict Trump of his crimes. I’m hoping he goes down with those he sent to the Capitol. If America is supposed to be anything, it is that no one is above the law. Not even the president. Thus far, this has been shown to be a lie, but I’m trying to have a little hope.
If you wanna get to know me better, please follow me on social media. I’m pretty active on all platforms:
Also, if you’ve been digging my work on here, and want to see me be able to continue writing as close to full-time as humanly possible, please take a look at my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/mjdistefano. Even $1 a month helps bigly!!!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In